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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Romain, located in Sèvres in the Hauts-de-Seine, is a religious building whose origins date back to the 7th century. Founded by the Merovingian king Dagobert II around 560, it was originally dedicated to Saint Roman of Blaye, patron of the boatmen. The relics of this saint, transported from Saint-Denis between 628 and 638, were preserved there until their disappearance in 1793. The present church, mentioned as early as the 12th century, was mainly built in the 12th and 13th centuries, with a span under steeple characteristic of this period. It underwent major changes in the 17th century, partially altering its medieval aspect.

The church of Saint-Romain was a royal parish, especially during the reign of Marie Leczinska, wife of Louis XV. The latter financed the construction of a new choir in 1765, marking the monarchy's attachment to that place. The building also played a civic role: the first municipal assembly of Sèvres, created by the Édit of 1787, gathered there after the religious offices, in the presence of the parish priest and elected representatives, including King Louis XVI as local lord. The adjacent presbytery, built between 1744 and 1786, bears witness to this blissful period.

Ranked a historic monument since 1 July 1937, the church houses remarkable heritage elements. Among them, a cross path painted on porcelain, made in 1873 by the Sèvres factory, illustrates the close link between the place and local handicrafts. The glass windows, from the former royal factory, as well as the bell Anette (cast in 1760 and classified in 1944), complete this heritage. The bell tower, restored in 1897, and the works carried out under Louis-Philippe and then in 1967 underline the continuing efforts to preserve this historic place.

The church was also the heart of an active community, as evidenced by the displacement of the cemetery on a land given by Louis XVI. Its history reflects the religious, political and artistic evolutions of Sèvres, from the Merovingian era to the contemporary era.

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